


The Perfect Timeline

by VerdantSunset



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28568667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerdantSunset/pseuds/VerdantSunset
Summary: If Link learned anything over the seemingly endless cycles of his three days in Termina, it was how to take thorough notes. By the end he knew just where every single person would be at any time of the day. He had been ready to take on Majora for at least a dozen cycles now. But every time he was close to the end he would reset, dissatisfied. There was always something he missed, someone who needed his help but didn't get it. But now he had it. The perfect plan, a schedule planned out by the minute. With only three days, he would help everyone.
Relationships: Anju/Kafei (Legend of Zelda), Lulu/Mikau
Comments: 7
Kudos: 10





	1. The Plan

**11:00 PM, Night of the First Day, Clocktown.**

Though Clocktown had become far more quiet at the late hour of the night. Around the walled town there still were pockets of activity. The children of the bomber gang in their games of tag, the twin dancers brainstorming for their newest dance craze, and the men in the mayor’s office, still stubbornly arguing over the safety of the town long after the beleaguered mayor had stopped listening entirely. 

The lounge of the Stockpot Inn is similarly awake, though the only sounds that filled the room were the crackling of the fireplace and the almost frantic turning of pages. Link sits cross legged on the floor of the lounge, with the back of his hand he rubs the fatigue from one of his eyes while stifling a yawn. He’d been cooped up in the inn for the better part of a day. Splayed on the floor in front of Link is a large piece of paper which might have looked indecipherable to anyone else, Link never did have the best handwriting. In his lap is the bombers’ notebook, abridged with extra papers, schedules, and hastily scrawled notes all stuffed into the book which after countless cycles of time travel was about to snap at the spine. 

The notebook, which originally held about twenty pages, now looked like a modest textbook. The expansion had been necessary, at least according to Link. There were just too many people in Termina who were in need of helping for them all to fit in that tiny notebook. Link flips through the pages, all of which contain detailed information on the schedules and actions of everyone in Termina, after so many cycles he had an intense knowledge of everything that would happen over the three days before the end of the world. He leans over to make a few final marks on the paper in front of him and with a sigh he shuts the notebook before putting away with the rest of his gear. With a weary smile, he picks up the schedule that he had spent the better part of twelve hours making before scanning the countless notes for errors.

Tatl had been watching Link as he worked upon his magnum opus of clerical note taking and while she scoffed at the idea when the young man had proposed it to her, she was still impressed to see the fully formed schedule. “You’re insane, you know.”

“Don’t you see,” Link said, looking over shoulder at the skeptical fairy. “With this, we can help everyone!” 

Tatl was still skeptical, “That’s what you’ve been saying for a while now. What I don’t understand is why you’re going through all this work. I mean isn’t stopping the end of the world enough of a task that you shouldn’t feel the need to add a bunch of busywork to it? And it’s not like you can’t do it, you were about to finally kill Majora but instead you just warped us back to the first day! Aren’t you tired?”

He let the fairy say her piece before he explained. “You’re right, I could have just ended it there. No more Majora, no more moon, no more of the endless three days. But if I had ended it there…” He stopped, thinking for a moment. “If I stop the moon and everybody is still miserable, then what’s the point? Yes, I killed Majora, but I didn’t do anything else on that cycle. So many injustices that I tried to fix during my time here still happened because I wasn’t there to stop them.” Tatl could see that he was getting that signature determined look on his face, when nothing anyone could say would dissuade him from the path he had chosen. For him, this was the right thing to do, there was nothing else to it.

Still, Tatl made one last attempt to change his mind. “You need to remember that if you can’t travel back then everybody dies. You can’t just exhaust yourself, what if you fell asleep on the third day and you were too tired to wake up?”

Link pointed to a section on the schedule, “On the first day I’m gonna take out a bunch of money and buy energy potions. Whenever I get tired I’ll just drink one, they’re supposed to give you a day's worth of energy and I’ll have six of them!” He smiled, knowing that he had thought of everything.

Tatl sighed, “You’re really gonna do this aren’t you.” She shrugged, “Alright, you win. But don’t expect me to stay awake through the whole thing, I’m not crazy like you.” Link smiled as he packed up the bomber’s notebook and the schedule, securing them safely among his possessions. 

He stood up, stretching his back after having sat on the floor for hours. “Thanks Tatl. Now it’s time for me to get as much sleep as possible before I reset the loop.” He walked over to Anju’s Grandmother who had been sitting patiently in her chair by the fire.

She perked up in her seat as she heard him walking over, “Have you finished your project Tortus?” She asked, confusing him for her son. He nodded before sitting cross legged at her feet. “Good! Then let mother tell you a story about the giants.” She cleared her throat before reading the book in her lap. Meanwhile, Link had already assumed a sleeping position on the floor. “This tale is from long ago when…” She began, but Link was already asleep.


	2. The Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link finds a far more expedient way of reuniting Anju and Kafei. Although it comes at the cost of subtlety.

**6:00AM, Clocktown, Dawn of the First Day**

Link had barely stepped out of the clock tower before a mask was in his hands. Tatl, who hadn’t read the schedule before they warped back, was simply going along for the ride, and she was confused when she saw Link transform into his burly goron form. He didn’t stop in his full sprint as he transformed, instead he continued to sprint towards the staircase leading to the laundry pool, where a purple haired individual in a keaton mask was descending the steps. Kafei yelped as Link enveloped him in his arms holding him in a grip as unyielding as stone. 

Silently, Link checked off the first step of his mental schedule before running towards the Stock Pot Inn all while holding Kafei under one arm. Some of the construction workers in the town square took notice of the commotion, one of them, thinking that he had just witnessed a kidnapping, chased after Link shouting, “You there, let him go this instant!” 

Link didn’t stop, instead he shouted back, “Leave me alone, I’m trying to save a marriage!”

**6:20AM, Clocktown, Dawn of the First Day**

Anju yawned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, ever since Kafei disappeared she hadn’t been sleeping well. But, she still had her family and the inn to take care of, so she had been trying to keep up a brave face and to stay strong knowing that her fiance was missing. Though she admits to herself that it has been difficult, the mornings like this where she has a few hours before the inn opens have helped. She sits at the front desk of the inn, enjoying the quiet of the early morning while nursing a cup of tea. 

The Inn had been quiet all morning, that was until a goron busted through the front door. 

**6:25AM, Clocktown, Dawn of the First Day**

Link rushed into the entrance of east Clocktown, he knew the inn wouldn’t open for another hour and a half, but he didn’t have that kind of time. Carrying a protesting Kafei under his right arm, Link braced with his left shoulder before ramming through the wooden door with the strength enough to crush a boulder. 

Anju screamed in shock as he burst through and she dropped the tea she was drinking. Link made a mental note to apologize later for the door, and the tea. Link gasped for breath after his long sprint across town. He deposited Kafei on the ground who swayed on his feet, he was dizzy after being carried in such a manner and his hair was frazzled in every which way. A second later a tired looking construction worker stopped at the now broken door, before resting a hand on the frame. He bent over trying to catch his breath. He pointed at Link, “Stop… right… there… kidnapper!” He gasped out each word between breaths. 

Anju looked like she was about to ask a laundry list of questions but before she could voice any of them Link took off his mask, rapidly transforming back into his human form. Before anyone could ask any further questions about this new development he pointed at Kafei. “This is your fiance Kafei, he was transformed into a child by Skull Kid, and his wedding mask was stolen from him by a thief. That’s why he didn’t return until now. I have no time to explain who I am or why I brought him here,” He looked to Kafei, who seemed frazzled but was listening, “I promise to you that I will return your mask before the festival.” Link saw the pained, and concerned look on Kafei’s face and Link knew what he was thinking about. He glanced at Anju, who was studying Kafei’s face, her eyes glowing with recognition. “You know she loves you, no matter what form you’re in.” Link felt his eyes getting misty at the memory, when he helped them to reunite. “You two are perfect for each other.” 

Having said his piece, Link raised his ocarina to his lips and a few seconds later he disappeared in a flash of light. The three other occupants of the inn were left stunned, the construction worker knowing the least about the situation than anyone else. He simply waved a hand at Anju and Kafei before leaving to go back to his work, hoping that he’ll forget the events by tomorrow. 

That left Anju and Kafei, alone in the waiting room of the inn. Anju had stepped out to where Kafei was standing, he felt all the shame that he had been harboring for the last few weeks come to the surface. She approached him cautiously, as if he would disappear at any moment, as if she were in a dream and at any moment she might wake up knowing that the one she loved was still missing. She knelt down to look him in the eye. “Is it really you, Kafei?”

His eyes told her everything, and in that moment all the pain he had been holding in came to the surface. She wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace, and through tears he answered, “Yes.” He hugged her back, and for the first time in too long he was home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I originally planned for there to be 3 chapters divided by when they happened in the story. 
> 
> 1\. events before the 3 days, i.e. the planning.  
> 2\. Link putting his plan into practice, this would span all three days and would be the longest chapter  
> 3\. Events after the three days, Link solving problems that didn't have a time limit, e.g. the great fairies, and the aftermath of his adventure.
> 
> I started to write chapter two and I started to realize that this wouldn't work. So the plan now is to divide chapters based on who Link is helping and where it makes sense to break things off into smaller interconnected stories. That being said I hope you enjoyed it because this is going to be a weird fic to say the least.


	3. The Zora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link confuses even more people, and he saves someone once thought lost.

**7:10AM, Clocktown, Dawn of the First Day**

Link disappeared from the inn before reappearing at the other side of town at the owl statue. “Seriously!” Tatl yelled at Link as he donned the bunny hood. “Your plan to reunite them was to just kidnap one of them!” 

Link winced as she yelled into his ear. “You were there too when you saw them on the third day, I know for a fact that they’ll be okay. They’re probably just happy to see each other.” He was already in front of the bank now, half listening to the banker’s regular spiel about the benefits of investment. “Five-hundred rupees please.” Link replied when asked about his withdrawal. 

“But Kafei wasn’t ready for what you forced him into, don’t you think that’s a little irresponsible?”

Link collected his rupees, and rushed towards the general store. “I’ve gone through enough cycles with Kafei that at this point I know him like a good friend.” He stepped through the door of the shop, “I know it’s not what he would have preferred, but I think in the end it is what’s best for him.” Link deposited three silver rupees on the counter as well as all six of his bottles. “Five red potions please, and put a fairy in the last one.” 

The shopkeeper stuttered, “Uh, that’s a bit too much money for what you’re asking for.” 

“Just keep the change, I’m in a hurry.” Urged Link.

**7:40AM, Great Bay, Dawn of the First Day**

Link appeared in front of the owl statue on the lab just off the coast of Great Bay. Donning the zora mask, his limbs grew in length as he dived into the water. He swam towards a body close to the shore that was being hounded by seagulls. Like he had done once before, Link pushed the floating body of Mikau to the shoreline. He flipped Mikau onto his back, but unlike the time he obtained the zora mask, Mikau said nothing to Link. 

Link wasted no time in uncorking the fairy bottle and releasing the small sprite onto Mikau’s body. The fairy went about its work, flying about Mikau’s body healing the wounds that had killed him in a previous cycle. Mikau’s eyes shot open as he began to breathe again. Only there was something wrong, Link thought. Mikau didn’t move from his spot on the beach, it was like his body was simply continuing to live, without any kind of soul. 

Tatl was the first to realize the problem, “The mask! Link, take off your mask!” Link followed her instructions, and his body shrunk down to it’s normal size as he removed the mask. With the zora mask in his hands, Link realized what Tatl had just discovered.

Of course! When I used the song of healing it transformed Mikau’s soul into the mask, Link thought, without the zora mask this is going to get even more difficult. Link hadn’t anticipated that he’d have to lose one of his masks, but this was far more important than his convenience. After all, his determination to succeed despite the difficulty was why Link was doing all of this in the first place. 

He gently placed the mask across Mikau’s still body, and for a moment nothing happened. But then, the mask began to fade away like a clearing fog, until it was gone entirely. Mikau suddenly breathed in a gasp, as if he had woken from a nightmare. He sat up with a start, “What… happened? Wait,” He said looking at Link, “Who are... the eggs!” He stood up, dizzying himself as he was still recovering from his injuries. “I need to…” Link grabbed onto Mikau’s hand before the zora could get back into the water. 

Link smiled at him, “I’ll help you get them back. But first, drink this.” He offered one of his red potions to Mikau. 

Mikau seemed confused by the generosity of this strange child, but he accepted, taking the bottle and drinking its contents. The potion had an immediate effect, steadying the zora and healing the sickly complexion that he had acquired. “Who are you?” He asked.

Link shook his head, “That’s not important. We don’t have much time.” He pointed across the bay, “Three of the eggs are in the waters around Pinnacle Rock, there’s a seahorse in that shop over there that can guide you to them. The other four are in the fortress, I can handle those.”

Mikau was tempted to ask questions, like why this stranger was so willing to help. Why he saved Mikau, and why he was willing to risk his life against pirates for people he didn’t know. But he kept his questions to himself. “Alright,” He nodded, “I don’t know why, but I feel as if I can trust you.” He looked over at the shop Link was talking about, “I don’t know how you’re going to convince the fisherman to give up that seahorse though.” Link smiled at him as he pulled out the stone mask, “I have my ways.” 

**8:30AM, Fisherman’s Shop, Dawn of the First Day**

The fisherman hummed to himself as he went about his normal routine. It had been a while since he had gotten a good haul, but he still had some stock of fish and that meant he had to clean them. As he set about butchering fish on the counter with a large cleaver he occasionally glanced over at the seahorse he had caught only a few days earlier. He chuckled to himself, that fish will fetch me a healthy sum of rupees when I sell it at the Carnival of Time, he thought to himself. If the carnival is even gonna happen with that moon getting closer. 

The fisherman looked up from the fish in his hands when he heard a slight clinking sound behind him. He put the fish down and turned to find that two silver rupees had mysteriously appeared on a shelf. While the sudden appearance of money would make most people raise questions, the fisherman wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He grabbed the rupees, turning them over in his hands. The two gems must be worth two hundred rupees by the very least, he thought. That’s a high enough sum that I’d sell the sea horse for that much. He pocketed the rupees before turning around to get back to the fish. That was when he saw the small aquarium, which held the sea horse, floating several feet above the ground.

The fisherman watched in stunned silence as some invisible force carried the aquarium across his shop and out the door. He searched his mind for any explanation for this. Well, there is that abandoned house right next door, it’s supposed to be haunted... 

He shook the thought out of his head. “Bah. Best not to mess with any ghosts... at least they paid for it.”

**8:40AM, Great Bay, Dawn of the First Day**

To say that Mikau was confused when the stranger he met had disappeared would be an accurate assessment. However, he was far more confused when he saw the door to the fisherman’s shop open, and the small aquarium containing the seahorse floated down the beach only to land softly at his feet. He heard the muffled voice of the seahorse come from within the tank, “Don’t look at me, I’m as confused as you are.”

The two of them jumped as Link suddenly reappeared next to them. Despite the seriousness of his journey so far, Link couldn’t help but laugh as Mikau leaped several feet back. “Relax,” Link giggled, “It’s just me.” 

Mikau took a deep breath, “So, this is the seahorse?”

Link nodded. “Release him at Pinnacle Rock and he’ll be able to guide you through. There’ll be some giant eels waiting for you so I don’t want to leave you unarmed.” Link unslung his gilded sword from his back before holding it out for Mikau to take. 

“Are you sure? I’ve never used a sword before.” Mikau accepted it gingerly, before awkwardly slinging it over his back.  
“It’s simple, just stick ‘em with the pointy end.” 

“Very funny.”

Mikau carefully picked up the aquarium before stepping towards the water, he stopped when he heard Link’s voice again. “Oh, one last thing. I’m gonna need a ride to the pirate’s fortress.” He asked awkwardly, like a kid asking for help reaching a high shelf.

Mikau chuckled as he halfway submerged himself in the water before looking over his shoulder, “Hop on!”

**9:40AM, The waters outside the Pirate’s Fortress, Dawn of the First Day**

Mikau surfaced in the passageway leading directly into the fortress and allowing Link to step off. “Are you sure about this?” Mikau asked. “You’ve already saved my life, it would be too much to ask you to risk yours.”

Link gave him a smile as he once again pulled out the stone mask, “Trust me, I’ll be alright. Meet me back at the lab, I can find my own way back.” He then donned the mask, and disappeared from Mikau’s sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, Link's not going to explain anything to anyone, ever. I should have called this fic "No Time To Explain" with how much the trope comes up.


	4. The Eggs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though his actions will change countless lives forever, after he is gone will Link ever be remembered?

**10:00AM, The Pirate’s Fortress, Dawn of the First Day**

The fortress was perhaps one of the most heavily guarded and outwardly dangerous places in all of Termina. Any intruder would have to be extremely skilled at either espionage, combat, or both to get past the dozens of swashbuckling female pirates that populated the fortress. Unless, of course, you were invisible. 

Tatl hid away under Link’s hat as he once again made his way through the fortress. “I’m surprised you just gave away your sword like that. Do you really think you won’t need it?” Tatl whispered as she clung to Link’s hair.

Link answered at a normal volume, knowing the pirates would be unable to hear him, “He’s gonna need it more than I will, besides it’s not like I’m defenseless without it.” Link stepped further into the fortress until he was upon one of the large aquariums holding a zora egg. “By the way,” He began as he started to rustle through his masks, “Are you gonna keep interrogating me about everything? Cause that’s going to get old by day three.” He finally found what he was looking for and he slipped off the stone mask. 

Tatl flew out from Link’s hat and crossed her arms, “If you keep acting weird then maybe I will!” She looked at the aquarium and suddenly remembered something that was on her mind. “Say, didn’t you use the zora mask to get the eggs last time?” She began to turn back to Link, “How are you going to get them o-” She stopped as Link transformed once again into his burly goron form. 

With a roar, Link punched the glass with enough force to shatter a boulder. The aquarium broke open and a torrent of water flowed out, almost knocking Link off his feet. With the water gone, Link reached his hand through the breach and scooped the egg into a bottle before safely corking it.

Tatl saw as he looked up at her before giving her a cheeky grin. She scoffed, “You act like such an idiot sometimes.”

**11:30AM, The Pirate’s Fortress, Dawn of the First Day**

Link panted as he made it to the fourth and final tank. He had drunk an energy potion at the third tank, as he needed the bottle. And again, he took out a potion and downed it all without pausing for breath. 

Tatl watched on with concern, “You should be careful Link, that’s the second one you’ve had in less than an hour.”

With shaking, jittery hands, Link corked the bottle. “I’m fine!” He shouted, not out of anger, but from an abundance of energy that only the young seem to carry. He fumbled through his things, ready to use the goron mask once again, when he heard a chorus of swords being drawn behind him. He turned to see half a dozen pirates had blocked off the exit behind him and they all looked ready to cut him down at a moment's notice. 

“Stop right there, Intruder!” Commanded the woman closest to him. 

Tatl flew under Link’s hat again, she peeked out to look at the group of warriors blocking their way out, this wasn’t going to end well. “Link, what are we going to do? You don’t have your sword.” 

Link snorted as he failed to hold in a laugh, “Did you really forget that we have two swords?” He asked. Link reached into his back pocket before pulling out a small charm, a brightly colored sword the size of a letter opener. But as he pulled it out, it began to grow in his hand and before a second had passed it had already grown to its normal size of a heavy, two-handed sword. Tatl groaned as she mentally slapped herself. She had forgotten all about it as Link had no need for the sword when he got it, and with him never using it, its existence had slipped her mind. She grumbled as she hid herself under Link’s cap, “Whatever, just beat these guys up already.”

Link laughed, “With pleasure.”

**12:00PM, Great Bay, Dawn of the First Day**

Link stepped through the door of the lab, still in an uproar about his victory over the pirates. “I can’t believe they just ran like that.” He said to a begrudgingly bemused Tatl, “It’s not like I could have done anything if they all attacked me at once, but after the first one went down they just ran!” 

But out of the corner of his ear, Link could hear another voice join in his laughter. “Looks like you had an easier time than I did, taking on the pirates.” Mikau laughed, the sound echoed from his gills, making his laughter sound like a school of fish.

Link smiled as he saw Mikau, before rushing towards the tank. To his delite, there were three zora eggs resting safely at the bottom. “I see you were equally successful.” Link said as he began to climb up the small ladder at the side of the tank. 

“Thanks to you,” Mikau replied, “I would have been fish food if it weren’t for that sword.” He rubbed his chin for a moment, “Say, how did you know I’d need it?” 

Link shrugged nonchalantly as he uncorked the first bottle, “Lucky guess?” Tatl rolled her eyes. Link upturned the bottle and one after another, he dropped the four eggs he had into the tank. 

Mikau and the biologist both looked on in awe as the eggs began to hatch. As Link had seen many cycles ago, the newborn zora hatchlings arranged themselves in the pattern of a song. Mikau, however, was distracted by the sound of the lab door opening. 

“Hey!” He yelled after Link, “Where are you going?” 

Link smiled back at him, happy to see a father reunited with his children. “There are others in need of my help. You should see Lulu, tell her that you rescued her eggs.” Link was out of the door by this point, and he looked out towards the turbulent waters outside the bay. “Oh, and stay safe. I promise that soon, things will get back to normal.”

Link lifted his ocarina to his lips as Mikau tried to yell after him. “Wait, I haven’t even thanked you for what you’ve done!” But Link was gone before he could get the words out.


End file.
